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California Wildfires Spreading

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The Associated Press

Published: June 12, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A second day of hot weather and dry winds stoked new wildfires across Northern California on Wednesday, as firefighters battled blazes that had damaged at least 50 homes and threaten hundreds more.

About 1,500 residents in the heavily forested hills north of Santa Cruz were told Wednesday afternoon to leave their homes as a quick-moving wildfire spread through the area.

The 300-acre blaze broke out in the Bonny Doon area of Santa Cruz County just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Battalion Chief Paul Van Gerwen said the fire threatened about 1,000 homes and had already set several structures ablaze. He said the fire could spread to as many as 1,000 acres before firefighters would be able to begin slowing it.

He said there were 500 mandatory evacuations and 1,000 voluntary evacuations.

A thick plume of smoke could be seen rising hundreds of feet above the rural hills as air tankers and helicopters raced to the scene.

Three firefighters trapped by flames while battling a 50-acre fire on Wednesday near Lincoln, about 25 miles north of Sacramento, were being treated at a regional burn center, fire officials said.

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